Its 1969 and more babies than ever are being born in hospital. Pressure on maternity beds remains extremely high across the country. However, Poplar is coping better than most due to the popularity of home births under the auspices of the Sisters. And a new midwife-training scheme sees Nonnatus House welcome a host of new midwives. The recruits face social problems arising from the docks, concerns among the Nigerian and Sylheti communities and health challenges from Cerebral Palsy, Tetanus and TB.